About the project

HOW DOES 2016/ WORK?2016/ is a new brand producing contemporary porcelain objects for the home. 2016/ puts together the porcelain making skills of potteries in Arita, Japan, with the talents of 16 international designers. The project is a collaboration between Saga Prefecture in Japan and The Netherlands. In past centuries The Netherlands has been a significant importer of Arita porcelain. Today, this unique and longstanding relationship has provided an important inspiration for reviving Aritaware. Together creative directors Teruhiro Yanagihara and Scholten & Baijings are leading a venture that incorporates the efforts of ten manufacturing companies from Arita with 16 international designers.Combining the ingenuity and experience of some of the best international design talents with the skill of traditional makers is the key to the 2016/ project. The international designers bring a purposefully fresh perspective to Aritaware. Through their vision, the qualities of Arita porcelain will be reexamined and reworked for a contemporary audience.The creative directors paired designer with manufacturer and oversee the design and production process of each product. The complete 2016/ collection has been launched in the spring of 2016, on the four hundred year anniversary of Arita porcelain’s birth.

BUILDING ON A SUCCESS

The 2016/ project builds on the success of a previous endeavor; 1616 / arita japan. It was here, in 2012, that the combination of contemporary design talent and local Arita manufacturers was first tested. The resulting porcelain collections: Standard by Teruhiro Yanagihara and Colour Porcelain by Scholten & Baijings were produced for the Arita manufacturer Momota Touen. Both collections received international acclaim and proved commercially successful. 2016/ galvanises that momentum with a bolder, more ambitious program. 2016/ hopes to fully revive the endangered industry of porcelain production in Arita and in doing so preserve a precious craft. 2016/ also hopes to inspire further local companies to use the same model of innovation, ensuring the renaissance of Aritaware is sustained.

THE NEW PRODUCTS

2016/ will offer 16 different works and collections (one from each designer) that are divided into two series: the standard and edition series. The standard series will include accessible, functional porcelain items for everyday use. Standard designs make use of the most efficient and economical methods of making and subsequently the collection is affordable, bringing Aritaware to a wide and new market. The edition collection demonstrates the finest, most skillful techniques and processes of Aritaware. 2016/ editions are collectable items, designed to celeberate the substantial qualities of this centuries-old craft.All 2016/ products stand for high quality, original, innovative porcelain production. They combine tradition with contemporary design – this is a local brand with global appeal.

2016/2016/ makes contemporary porcelain using the specialist skills found in the pottery town of Arita, Japan. Local artistry is combined with international design talent in the making of desirable, everyday porcelain products. 2016/ aims to revive interest in and bring commerce back to this remarkable craft region and its makers.––

The 2016/ project is being carried out by Saga Prefecture as part of the Arita Porcelain 400th Anniversary Project. arita-episode2.jp